DETROIT — If the Detroit Tigers force the American League Division Series to a Game 5 Thursday in Oakland, they will have the luxury of handing the ball back to Game 1 starter Max Scherzer.

Then again, if the Tigers force a Game 5, they may have needed Scherzer’s help to get there.

“I’m hoping I got Max Scherzer. I could possibly use him out of the bullpen today. We’re going to wait and see how he feels. He might be able to pitch a couple of innings if necessary,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.
“I will tend to lean on the cautious side with something like that, would have to be totally convinced we’re not risking anything. The reason I would be able to do that is because we would have Justin Verlander for Game 5.

“It’s obvious we gotta win this one today if we want to play a Game 5, but the pitching situation is really not an issue.”

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The Tigers entered Tuesday’s Game 4 trailing the Oakland A’s, 2-1, in the series. Obviously all bets are off when your team is teetering on the brink of elimination.

But there are limits.

Scherzer himself said — with a shake of the head Monday night — that he wouldn’t be starting Tuesday.

His manager, Leyland, has always been hesitant to start a guy on short rest in the playoffs — as the Los Angeles Dodgers did with Clayton Kershaw in Monday’s Game 4, NLDS-clinching win over the Braves.

There was no thought of starting Scherzer Tuesday night, Leyland said.

He’ll even be careful with Scherzer, who was going to throw while the Tigers took batting practice Tuesday afternoon, in a relief role, probably limiting him to the couple of innings Scherzer told him he’d be able to give.

“If everything isn’t exactly right and the stars aren’t lined up, I would never do it or take a chance,” Leyland said.
“Like I say, we will see how he feels (after he tests his arm). I just wouldn’t risk anybody, let alone Max Scherzer. I wouldn’t risk any pitcher that’s going to do something that — doesn’t always work when you bring those starters out of the bullpen. Sometimes it does.

“It’s a great story, and it’s a great question, ‘Why didn’t you use him?’ I haven’t had a lot of luck with that, myself, bringing a starter out. We’ll see.”

There is some precedent.

Scherzer gave Leyland five outs in relief of Fister in Game 5 of the 2011 ALDS against the Yankees, giving up a run in what was at the time a 2-0 game. It would have to be a similar situation for the Tigers to attempt it.

“It’s very unlikely that I would put him in if we were behind in a game. It’s a possibility I would put him in for maybe innings seven and eight if we were ahead and Doug was out of gas. That’s a possibility,” Leyland said.
“This is a time of year where it’s really interesting because everybody comes up with all these different scenarios that maybe you could try this, ‘Did you think of this and that?’
“It’s interesting, but we are what we are. This is the way we play the game, this is who we are. There are no tricks.”

Matthew B. Mowery covers the Tigers for Digital First Media. Read his “Out of Left Field” blog at opoutofleftfield.blogspot.com.

About the Author

Detroit Tigers beat writer for The Oakland Press in Pontiac, Michigan. Mowery has spent 19 years covering sports, from preps to pros. He’s been honored with more than 25 awards for writing. Reach the author at matt.mowery@oakpress.com
or follow Matthew B. on Twitter: @MatthewBMowery.